Update Feb 2017: Lockhart’s featured below has now left Marylebone and the premises are now occupied by The Gate vegetarian restaurant. To be reviewed soon. You may also want to visit Lurra in Seymour Place great basque food, see full review here.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
The latest trendy village in London is Marylebone which stretches anywhere from Marble Arch to Marylebone High St. So we thought we’d let you be in the know about some places that are both ‘cool’ and accessible in this latest ‘hot spot’.
First is Fischer’s a modern viennese all day eatery we reviewed it originally last year. Here’s a snippet of what we found………..
Fischer’s Accessible Viennese Eatery
‘…a Viennese Cafe in Marylebone High Street to add to the other London locations. So far all their establishments have achieved 2.5 BBS Ticks and Fischer’s appears no different. Not audited as yet but based on the building that was previously Cotidie, Italian Restaurant, which we did audit, we can say with some assurance that it’s accessible and has a disabled toilet. We did ask them just to be sure and they confirmed it is flat access with a fully equipped disabled toilet. Apart from that’……………(full review here).
Next is Lockhart a restaurant specialising in southern USA cuisine that Elvis would die for! Here’s what we wrote………
‘Brad McDonald the chef at the helm, is Mississippi born and has also worked in New York so his style is ” Brooklyn gastro flair – a refined spin on Southern American cooking.” It’s not necessarily a healthy alternative to the other McDonald, as I ate far too many Grits and I now know how Elvis died from over eating – but it is incredibly tasty and more’ish food.
Elvis Would Have Loved Brad McDonald The Chef at the Lockhart, Serving High Quality Homemade Food From the Southern States
The starters of ‘Devilled crab’, ‘Wedge salad with bacon, chopped egg & buttermilk ranch dressing’ and ‘Crawfish dip with cream cheese & cracklin’ toast’, should have been enough but we then had ‘Fried Chicken’, ‘Smoked pork belly, braised cabbage, BBQ reduction’ and ‘Shrimp & grits’ – I gave up half way through my Shrimp & grits. All very good but the best part was the ‘Buttermilk braised turnips’ – I don’t know how you get so much flavour out of a turnip but it was the best dish along with the ‘Corn bread’ made to order and served on a dish straight from the oven with butter/buttermilk bubbling around it – delicious!
Shrimp and Grits (Ground Corn). You Can Have Too Much of a Good Thing
Dessert of Calas – Deep Fried Dumplings Was Off ……….
But Lemon Ice Box Pie Was A Delicious Alternative
The decor is shabby chic but bright and airy with a silver plated ceiling. Access was good only a small step to get in but there was a ‘mystical air’ to the fully equipped disabled toilet as it was down a spiral staircase’….Read the rest here.
More recently we found Zetter Townhouse and their bar Seymour’s Parlour. A quirky place with unusual cocktails and staff from Mumford & Son’s….
‘small, full of rugs, antique chairs and tables, they managed to accommodate us wheelchair and all.
You need to book but it’s worth it for the cocktails as they’re original such as the Cedar kir (Cedar Wood Liqueur, Champagne) and their nibbles such as the homemade scotch egg or sausage roll’. Read more of the accessibility here.
We also found Fiona’s new favourite place Bernardi’s……
‘The Italian wine list is extensive and we let the waiter choose what was an eminently quaffable wine from Sicily. Food was good and the kitchen rustled up some lovely antipasti as we ordered too late for lunch on a Bank Holiday, the arancini were beautiful as was the homemade bread. However, their signature dishes look equally tasty:-
Bernardi’s Lobster Risotto
‘Market fish crudo – a trio of raw fish for two to share; flank steak with radicchio di Treviso and salsa verde; any of the pizzette, be it scamorza, potato and red onion or chocolate and hazelnut’. Bernard’s reminded me of the calm yet sophisticated ambience of bars you find in Rome or Milan. This is a testament to the owners as they’re Italian brothers from from Melbourne!
As far as access is concerned the entrance has a two separate steps but they help you with portable ramps. There’s also a very clean and calm disabled toilet on the ground floor’.
Finally if you want one of the best places in London to be seen and eat in, The Chiltern Firehouse got 3 BBS Ticks for style, accessibility and facilities…
‘latest place to eat and feel part of the ‘in crowd’. A property from Hungarian hotelier Andre Balazs whose ethos is an ‘unwavering commitment to answer the core needs of every guest’ ……..he certainly did that as the staff awareness of disability and the facilities were exemplary. The chef is Nuno Mendes previously of Viajante and el Bulli; I’ve always wanted to eat his food, even though it meant I may bump into celebs like Rod Stewart or even worse Kelly Hoppen of Dragon’s Den. I needn’t have worried, no celebs were evident yet the staff treated us as if we were. The access was good and the ‘greeting’ staff ,who helped me out of the taxi, knew exactly how to get me inside with a minimum of fuss. The entrance is completely flat, even the exterior pavement, there was just a small downward incline in the floor as you entered the restaurant’. (See more here)
Chiltern Firehouse – A Completely Flat Entrance With Helpful Staff
Others to mention are The Orrery, Galvin Bistrot de Luxe and The York & Albany all with respectable 2.5 BBS Ticks. There are many others we’ve reviewed just download the app and find them by location you’ll be surprised how much of this old part of London has become more accessible and hip at the same time!
